EIU Track Ready For Friday Night Special

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois track and field returns to Lantz Fieldhouse for the Friday Night Special as the Panthers prepare for next weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Nashville.  Field events will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon with the running events slated for a 3 p.m. start.

The Panthers posted strong team finishes at the Grand Valley State Big Meet last weekend with four individual first place finishes and a first place team finish by the EIU men.  Calvin Edwards, Pablo Ramirez, Mick Viken and Janie Howse all had first place marks for the Panthers.

EIU enters the weekend with six athletes ranked among the nation’s top 50 athletes in their events.  Seven athletes currently rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference this year.

Jade Riebold is the top ranked EIU athlete heading into the weekend as she ranks 11th in the nation in the women’s pole vault and is first in the OVC.

Mick Viken is ranked 12th in the pole vault nationally while leading the OVC.  He won the pole vault at the Grand Valley Big Meet to earn OVC Male Field Athlete of the Week honors.  Teammate Peter Geraghty is ranked 18th in the nation in the pole vault.

Calvin Edwards is ranked nationally in two events while leading the OVC in both the 200m and 400m dash.  Edwards was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Week for the third straight week after winning the 400m at the Grand Valley Big Meet.  Edwards is ranked 37th in the 200m and 49th in the 400m.

Johnathan Boey is ranked 30th in the nation in the 60m dash while leading the OVC in that event.

Pablo Ramirez and Bryce Basting lead the OVC in their events heading into the weekend.  Ramirez is first in the 3K after winning the event at the Grand Valley Big Meet.  Basting leads the OVC in the 800m.